Angels of Light include many New York City collaborators, including Dana Schechter of Bee and Flower, Kid Congo Powers of The Cramps, Larry Mullins aka Toby Dammit, Bliss Blood of The Moonlighters and Pain Teens, Thor Harris of Shearwater, and most recently the Brooklyn band Akron/Family.
Gira talks about the Angels project :
I write the songs on acoustic guitar, then gather musicians and friends, and build up the orchestrations with them in the studio and in live performances. I guide the process, but solicit their creative contributions actively. Each recording contains the contributions of an ever-changing plethora of amazing musicians, whom I thank here heartily!
After many years (too many to comfortably contemplate!) of dwelling on "sonic overload" with Swans, I now concentrate on augmenting the songs I write with orchestrations that support the basic song, rather than the sound itself taking over.
My goal is to achieve the same sense of magic I experienced as a child listening to Burle Ives recordings of Brer Rabbit and other such marvels, including the early Disney children's records I listened to long ago.
I view the arrangements as little films created to make a context for the words and voice, so that one can drift off into the world the music creates. I produce the Angels recordings, and the production of the recordings is as important to me as the songs themselves.
Most of the instruments used in the recordings are acoustic, but not all. Electric guitars, bass and drums etc., are sometimes used (as well as an occasional electronic sound, or loop), but I intentionally steer clear of a "Rock" sound. It doesn't interest me at all any more.
However, I have no particular fealty to "The Song" as if it were some sacred codex. On the other hand, just sitting around my house, writing these things, and finally coming up with a statement that I think makes sense, I want to bring them to life as much as possible, in new and challenging ways for both myself and you, so I always strive to present them in a fresh and interesting context.
For this reason, I'm always changing the sonic approach from record to record.
All Angels of Light albums have been released on Michael Gira's label Young God Records.
The name Angels of Light was first used by the spiritual theater group founded by drag queen Hibiscus of The Cockettes. It is not known whether Gira's group was named in homage to Hibiscus's similarly metaphysically-minded group.
Untitled Love Song
The Angels of Light Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Free of your future too
There's nothing left to rise above but you
Show me your ocean red
Kiss the tears that stain my neck
Drug me with fissions untrue
You laying naked upon your back
Safe in a stone house by the sea
There's nothing true and nothing's real
But I remember one clear feel
Warm beneath your gentle company
While I lay dying upon some bed
I hope that you remember this
The only one I want to see is you
The Angels of Light’s Untitled Love Song appears to be an introspective song about letting go of the past, embracing the present and living in the moment. The first lines of the song, “Free from your past, Free of your future too, There's nothing left to rise above but you” can be interpreted as the artist telling us to let go of our past and future worries and focus on ourselves. The phrase “Nothing left to rise above but you” implies that the only obstacle one needs to overcome is themselves.
The second stanza, “Show me your ocean red, Kiss the tears that stain my neck, Drug me with fissions untrue” can be interpreted as the artist asking his subject to reveal their deep emotions and share their true selves with him. The line “Drug me with fissions untrue” can be seen as a metaphor for being under the influence of someone’s abstract and raw emotion.
The third and final stanza, “But I won't photograph, You laying naked upon your back, Safe in a stone house by the sea, There's nothing true and nothing's real, But I remember one clear feel, Warm beneath your gentle company”. Can be interpreted as the artist deciding not to capture the moment through a photograph, but instead, to relish it for what it is. The line “There's nothing true and nothing's real” can be interpreted as a comment on the fleeting nature of the moment, but with the line “But I remember one clear feel, Warm beneath your gentle company”, the artists affirm that the moment was real and indeed happened.
Line by Line Meaning
Free from your past
You should let go of your past and not let it hold you back
Free of your future too
You should not concern yourself with the future and just live in the moment
There's nothing left to rise above but you
The only obstacle that remains is yourself, and you must overcome it
Show me your ocean red
Let me see your deepest emotions and desires
Kiss the tears that stain my neck
Comfort me and make me feel loved despite my pain and sadness
Drug me with fissions untrue
Take me away from reality and show me something unreal and magical
But I won't photograph
I don't want to capture this moment, as it is too personal and special to be shared
You laying naked upon your back
I don't want to capture you in a vulnerable state, as it is not respectful
Safe in a stone house by the sea
I want to be with you in a peaceful and protected place, away from the worries of the world
There's nothing true and nothing's real
The world can be a confusing and misleading place, and it's hard to know what to believe in
But I remember one clear feel
Despite all the confusion, there is one thing that stands out as true
Warm beneath your gentle company
Feeling loved and cared for in the presence of someone who is gentle and kind
While I lay dying upon some bed
In the face of death, all that matters is love and connection
I hope that you remember this
I want you to hold on to this memory and cherish it
The only one I want to see is you
Above all else, the only thing that truly matters is being with the one you love
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind